The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.K. Increased in February

NEW YORK, April 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.K. increased 0.6 percent in February to 103.6 (2004 = 100), following a 0.4 percent increase in January, and a 0.6 percent increase in December.

At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for the U.K., a measure of current economic activity, decreased 0.1 percent in February to 102.6 (2004 = 100), following a 0.2 percent increase in January and no change in December.

The Conference Board LEI for the UK has been on a rising trend since the second quarter of 2009, and its six-month growth rate has picked up slightly in recent months. Meanwhile, The Conference Board CEI for the UK, a measure of current economic activity, has remained essentially flat since the middle of 2010. Taken together, the recent behavior of the composite indexes suggests that economic activity will likely expand in the near-term, albeit at a modest pace.

About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.K.

The Conference Board LEI for the U.K. aggregates seven economic indicators that measure activity in the U.K., each of which has proven accurate on its own. Aggregating individual indicators into a composite index filters out so-called "noise" to show underlying trends more clearly.

The seven components of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.K. include:

Plotted back to 1970, this index has successfully signaled turning points in the U.K. business cycles. The Conference Board currently produces leading economic indexes for the Euro Area and nine other countries, including Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain and the U.S.

To view The Conference Board calendar of 2011 indicator releases:  http://www.conference-board.org/data/

For more information: http://www.conference-board.org/data/bci.cfm

For full press release: http://www.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=2

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is an independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world's leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in the United States.  www.conference-board.org.

SOURCE The Conference Board